The "My Review Is Final" Review: The Darjeeling Limited

by Brian Hughes

(If you don’t want to know what the hell happens – don’t read!)

Okay … so I haven’t seen The Royal Tenenbaums, nor have I seen The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, so if you are looking for some type of pretentious Film Comment clap trap comparison of Wes Anderson’s work, you’ll have to take a powder. I have however seen Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, if anyone cares at this point. Both of those films were fantastic, with the exception of Rushmore’s ending (a nudge to PR).

So as far as Wes Anderson maturing as a filmmaker, I can’t really tell you. I will say that this was a hell of an entertaining picture, with a strong cast, great cinematography, and a script that kept me guessing all the way through.

Three brothers, “Francis” (Owen Wilson), “Peter” (Adrien Brody), and “Jack” (Jason Schwartzman) haven’t seen each other in a long time - deep rooted family issues have kept them apart. Francis, the older brother, decides to round them up for a spiritual journey across India in hopes of mending their relationship. What Francis hasn’t told his brothers is that their journey (on the train “The Darjeeling Limited) is leading them straight to their mom, “Patricia”, played wonderfully by Anjelica Houston. Patricia has left her sons and former life to become a Christian nun in The Himalayas. What transpires on their journey is both hilarious and heartbreaking.

Wilson plays the controlling and suicidal older brother with a subtleness that tells you he’s really in control of nothing. His insecurity, especially in the scenes concerning the rightful ownership of their deceased father’s belongings, who may or may not be “The Businessman” (Bill Murray), is particularly funny and touching. Adrien Brody, as Peter, is kind of like the straight man to Wilson – confused and often holding in a lot of anger and resentment. Jason Schwartzman plays the younger and more sensible brother caught in between the jealousies of his two older siblings. All three actors have a wonderful camaraderie together that is fun to watch: though it is still a wonderment why anyone finds Jason Schwartzman’s bland acting and non emotional face interesting. Though Schwartzman’s greater talent might me in screenwriting, having penned this script with Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson. I’m still amazed that, without giving anything away, they were able to go from the funnies moment in the film to the most tragic in less than five minutes and still have you captured by it all.

The Darjeeling Limited could easily pass as just a weird fractured black comedy by a less discerning eye – but when looked at deeply, it is a wonderful meditation on letting go of the emotions or material things in life that we clutch on to for far longer than we need to.

Robert Yeoman, Wes Anderson’s Director of Photography, captures the luminous beauty of India with his lens and does a great job, not only with the properly used slow motion shots, but with the always grueling shooting about the train. One of the finest moments in the film is when the camera tracks along the compartments of the train to reveal both the metaphors and characters embedded in Jack’s brain as he sleeps.

Mention should be made of Anjelica Huston’s creepy portrayal of their mother Patricia. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she is nominated in the supporting actress category at this year’s Oscars. Irfan Khan, star of the recent film The Namesake, turns in a small but affecting performance as “The Father.” Amara Karan’s performance of the self imposed but yearning train worker “Rita” is admirable amongst a stellar cast.

An entertaining film by and by, but certainly not for everyone.

The opinions expressed in this review are those of Brian Hughes. They do not express the opinions of The Boutros Boutros Follies, nor the rest of its contributors.